The Unwanted by Kien Nguyen 200 POINTS TOTAL
Take home exam, due tomorrow, August 18th, typed and double spaced. Responses must be in essay format but do not require a formal introduction paragraph.
Short essay questions, worth 50 points each:
1. Which scene in the book affected you most deeply? Explain how it affected you and why.
2. Select one of the characters and make assertions (at least two) about their character/personality/sensibility. Support your assertions using specific details from the text. Be specific and thorough. There is no need to directly quote or indicate page number. You can simply paraphrase.
3. Do the same thing as #2 above, focusing on a different character in the memoir.
4. Select one of the many themes about home that we have read about and/or discussed this semester (losing home, returning home, the myth of home, leaving home, finding home, etc.) and explain how it applies to this memoir specifically. You may INSTEAD focus on another theme of your choice besides for the home theme, as we discussed in class today.
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EXTRA CREDIT (OPTIONAL) Worth 2 points each
Who spoke these words?
1. “Madam, is it fine with you that the children keep the dog? I am sorry for not asking you first, but I do want to leave them something to remember me by before I go.”
2. “And you….each time you told me that I am your only sister, in my heart, I truly wanted to believe you, but I won’t anymore. It always ends up hurting too much. Today, your son beat mine to within an inch of death. I am terminating this relationship, sister. From this point on, we are just two unfortunate families sharing a well and a shithouse.”
3. “Let me ask you then, does it bother you that I am from the north?”
4. “You can sell the necklace…But can I keep the jade? It’s the only thing left for us to remember Loan.”
